Bethany

Several Genesee County fire departments are helping fight a fully involved house fire on Kingsley Road in the Town of Middlebury, which is in Wyoming County. The house is at 566 Kingsley Road.

Bethany, Pavilion and Le Roy are called to the scene, along with a tanker from Alexander. An engine from Alexander is requested to fill in at Bethany's hall. York is asked to fill in at Pavilion. Bergen is asked to stand by in its quarters. Bethany is requested to send an ambulance to the scene.

UPDATE: For coverage from the Wyoming County Free Press, click here.

A minor-injury accident is reported at Route 63 and Little Canada Road. It is blocking traffic. Bethany fire and Mercy medics are responding and Stafford is called for traffic control.

UPDATE 11:50 a.m.: The assignment is back in service.

A working barn fire is confirmed at 10628 East Road, south of Route 20 in Bethany. Pigs are reportedly inside of it. Bethany fire is responding, along with Alexander, the city's Fast Team, Pavilion, Stafford and Wyoming. Town of Batavia Fire is to fill in at Bethany Fire Hall.

UPDATE 6:47 a.m.: Darien fire is asked to fill in at Alexander Fire Hall.

UPDATE 7:18 a.m.: East Pembroke is asked to fill in at Bethany Fire Hall.

UPDATE 7:30 a.m.: The command chief says "most of the pigs got out." The barn itself was "on the ground" by the time fire crews arrived.

UPDATE 7:52 a.m.: South Byron is requested to fill in at Stafford Fire Hall.

UPDATE 1:50 p.m.: The farm is owned by David and Rebecca Orr. There were three adults and from nine to 11 piglets lost in the fire.  At least nine pigs were saved. The fire is still under investigation, but Emergency Management Coordinator said investigators are looking at the heat lamps used to keep the piglets warm.

UPDATE 11:13 a.m.: Video from the scene.

Five Genesee County fire departments are responding, mutual aid, to the Town of Covington in Wyoming County for a working structure fire with a person still inside the residence. The location is 864 Perry Road. In addition to Covington fire, responders requested include Le Roy, Pavilion, Bethany, Stafford and the City of Batavia Fast Team.

UPDATE 5:28 a.m.: The person inside got out safely. The fire is out. The assignment is back in service. The resident told firefighters he normally throws debris from his heat stove outside his back door, and did so this time but forgot about a wooden pallet he put there. It caught fire and smoke came up through the back porch into the house, waking the resident. The fire burnt a portion of the back porch.

Deer in the southeast part of Genesee County have figured out that if they hide out in the county park they are not going to get shot at, which has led to an overpopulation of deer in the park, causing problems for the county's forestry management efforts.

County officials are considering -- and the discussion is still in early stages -- allowing a limited number of hunters to hunt deer in a portion of the park during bow hunting season.

"We're still working on the actual nuts-and-bolts details of the plan," said Tim Hens, county superintendent of highways. "It hasn't even been presented to the parks advisory committee yet, but I can tell you it would be very limited in nature in terms of not being through the entire park. It would be limited to specific areas of the park to avoid obvious conflicts with bicyclists and hikers and horseback riders and everything else that goes on down there. It is a multi-use park and the safety of everybody is obviously paramount."

The County Park covers about one square mile in Bethany. It was established in 1915 as the first county park in New York. The land was purchased in 1882 in order to procure cooking and heating wood for what was then the county poorhouse. Various efforts to plant trees in the park took place over the next two decades, and by 1935 nearly 170,000 tress had been planted.

The deer hunting plan is being drafted by an ad-hoc committee comprised of the parks supervisor, affiliated agencies like the Department of Environmental Conservation, wildlife and forestry experts, and members of the Genesee County Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee.

The plan would be presented to the advisory committee when completed and if the committee approves it, it would still need approval by the County Legislature.

"Speaking in very general terms, the initial concept calls for a fee-based lottery draw for hunters who will have access to limited regions within the park for limited period of time during regular bow season," Hens said. "Hunting will be bow-only. Focus will be on deer management and there will be an initial emphasis with disabled vets and youth hunts."

The hunt would likely take place for more than one season, Hens said, but whether it became a perpetual event would depend on how successful it was at knocking down the deer population in the park. Letchworth, which is significantly larger, has an annual deer hunt for the same reason, but since the county park is smaller, an annual hunt may not be necessary.

Hens said the ad-hoc committee is interested in community feedback on the proposal and there will be a public information meeting on the plan before it is presented to the Legislature.

The 237 students of Bigodi Secondary School in Uganda will soon be able to study in a new classroom thanks to the efforts of two Michigan State University graduates who on their own have raised nearly $10,000 and leave today to complete their project.

The students, Kirk David Mason, of Lansing, Mich., and Sarah Scott, of Bethany, were inspired to build the project through the life of Benson Bamatura, a Ugandan conservationist who died early last year.

Scott, who has a degree in zoology, met Bamatura while in a student exchange program in 2013 in Uganda.

When Bamatura died, he left behind five children. When researching options for ways to honor Bamatura, the Bigodi officials offered to ensure an education for Bamatura's children in exchange for the construction of a classroom.

Strictly tapping into their own personal network of friends and family, plus some fundraisers in Lansing, Mason and Scott were able get just about $100 shy of their $10,000 goal.

"We tried company sponsors, but since were weren't a nonprofit, there wasn't much interest," Scott said. "A lot of companies were like, 'it's a great project, but since you're not a nonprofit, we're not going to donate.' It's all been about friends and family."

Their trip will encompass more than building the classroom. Both are certified to teach English in a foreign language, so will instruct teachers on English. Mason, a documentary filmmaker with a degree in media, will make a series of short videos for students around the world to learn more about conservation and that part of Africa's natural habitat.

Both Mason and Scott have arranged with their former schools -- Pavilion locally and Mason's school near Lansing  -- to establish pen pal programs with Bigodi students.

There is also an arts program project they're pursuing with the Wyoming County Arts Council.

"We hope to build a bridge between two different cultures," said Mason, who is making his fifth trip to the region.

The school is in the midst of wildlife sanctuaries and near Africa's own "Great Lakes" area (such as Lake Victoria, which feeds the Nile) and among the conservation topics Mason plans to explore with his films are the issues effecting those lakes as well as our own Great Lakes.

Other topics to explore include regional sustainable food programs, sustainable agriculture and work on a documentary about food systems and food provisions.

"We e-mailed as many people as we could think of to make as many connections as we can," Scott said.

They hope to raise even more money to either generate funds for school supplies and books or perhaps also build a second classroom.

Mason sees the trip as a responsibility to fulfill because he's benefitted so much from his education. Scott's motivation is similar.

"I feel very fortunate to get the education I've received," Scott said. I want to be able to give back."

And she didn't want to just be all talk, either.

"I've always wanted to be able to do something like this and then actually stick to what I say I'm going to do, because a lot of people say, 'oh, let's do this' and then don't actually do it," Scott said. "I wanted to actually make something happen."

The trip, Scott believes, might also be a good career move.

"Pretty much all of Uganda is a biodiversity hot spot, so I’m really excited to just work in that environment," Scott said. "I’m hopefully going to be networking. There’s a lot of research that goes on in that area looking at primates and there are thousands of species of birds there, too, so it’s a pretty exciting place to be as a zoologist. I’m going to make as many connections as I can and hopefully find more work in that area, too."

Links:

• Kirk Mason on Vimeo
• Classroom for Benson
• Contribute

A Bethany resident accused of causing a brain injury to a toddler appeared in County Court today, but his case was continued to another date because his newly hired attorney was unable to make an appearance this morning.

Anthony P. Dibble, 25, was arraigned last week on a sealed indictment charging reckless assault of a child and assault in the second degree. 

In an interview following Dibble's appearance, Assistant District Attorney Will Zickl said the toddler, a 2-year-old female, suffered a very serious brain injury and underwent surgery to relieve swelling in her brain.

"Fortunately, she is recovering at this point," Zickl said.

Asked for a prognosis, Zickle said, "I don't know the prognosis and I don't even know if the medical professionals would predict that because neurological injuries are very tricky, especially predicting the future."

Dibble is the child's biological father, Zickl said; however, the child lives with her mother, who is not a Genesee County resident.

The parents are not married, Zickl said.

By mutual agreement, the toddler was staying with Dibble on an overnight visit in August.

The injured child was driven to UMMC by Dibble and from there was taken by Mercy Flight to Women & Children's Hospital in Buffalo, where the surgery was performed.

Zickl declined to discuss the circumstances the prosecution believes led to the girl's injuries.

The indictment accuses Dibble of causing a serious physical injury to the brain of a child less than 5 years old by shaking the child or slamming or throwing the child so as to impact the child's head on a hard surface or object.

He is also accused of intending to cause physical injury to a person under 7 years of age and caused such an injury by biting the person. 

Buffalo attorney Dominic Saraceno has apparently been retained to represent Dibble. Because of a prior commitment, he couldn't be in court today on relatively short notice, but did contact the office of Judge Robert C. Noonan and ask that the case be continued to a later date.

Dibble is due in court again at 10:45 a.m., Jan. 22.

Brandon P. Matteson, 18, of Dutton Road, Silver Springs, is charged with burglary, 3rd. Matteson is accused of stealing from a locked concessions stand in an Oakfield Park.

Gary D. Piazza, 59, of Jackson Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Piazza is accused of shoplifting from the gas station at 99 Jackson St., Batavia.

Michael B. Neth, 37, of Summit Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Neth allegedly pushed another person to the ground. The alleged incident was reported at 11:15 p.m., Saturday. 

Steven R. Columbo, 28, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with assault, 3rd. Columbo allegedly grabbed the arm of another person hard enough to cause dark bruising and substantial pain. The alleged incident was reported at 9:51 p.m., Wednesday.

A 16-year-old resident of Dellinger Avenue was charged with trespass. The youth was allegedly on property on Liberty Street without permission. Also charged with trespass at the same location was Destiny N. Green, 18, of Walnut Street, Batavia.

David Mobley Schmieder, 20, of Silver Road, Bethany, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and moving from the lane unsafely. Schmieder was stopped at 2:37 a.m. Thursday on Erie Street, Darien, by Deputy Andrew Hale.

Anthony P. Dibble is indicted on counts of reckless assault of a child and assault in the second degree. Dibble is accused of causing a serious physical injury to the brain of a child less than 5 years old by shaking the child or slamming or throwing the child so as to impact the child's head on a hard surface or object. He is accused of intending to cause physical injury to a person under 7 years of age and caused such an injury by biting the person. The alleged crimes were reported Aug. 11 in the Town of Bethany.

Carrie A. Stewart is indicted on counts of burglary in the third degree, petit larceny and criminal contempt in the second degree. Stewart is accused of entering Walmart on Sept. 14 with the intent of committing a crime inside the building. Once inside Walmart, Stewart allegedly stole party supplies, books, dolls, toys, an Easy Bake Oven and a karaoke machine. She allegedly violated a court order that required her to stay away from a person at Walmart.

Robert J. Propst is indicted on counts of robbery in the first degree, two counts of grand larceny in the fourth degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree. On Aug. 6, Propst allegedly use force to steal property from a victim on Pearl Street, Batavia, while wielding a knife. He's accused of stealing property from the person, including a Visa credit card.

David R. Cook, 20, of Lindsey Road, Attica, is charged with forgery, 2nd. Cook allegedly altered a prescription in an attempt to deceive a pharmacy into giving him more medication than original prescribed. Cook was jailed on $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond.

Daniel W. Hennebohl, 59, of Bethany Center Road, East Bethany, is charged with criminal mischief, 4th. Hennebohl is accused of scratching a car with a key while in the Walmart parking lot at 11:48 a.m., Sunday.

Nancy Ann Bennet, 44, of Center Street, Medina, is charged with petit larceny. Bennet is accused of shoplifting at Kmart.

Christina M. Sanchez-Anderson, 26, of Bank Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear. Sanchez-Anderson is accused of failing to appear in court on a grand larceny charge in October.

Daniel J. Saeva, 35, of Central Avenue, Batavia, is charged with strangulation, 2nd, criminal mischief, 3rd, endangering the welfare of a child, harassment, 2nd and assault, 3rd. Saeva is accused of putting his hands around the next of another person and shoving another while in the presence of three children during an alleged incident reported at 9:01 p.m., Friday.

Donya M. Vaughn, 48, of Richley Road, Corfu, is charged with issuing a bad check. Vaughn was arrested on a warrant issued by City Court.

Carter L. Hall, 37, of Oakfield, is charged with DWI and driving with a BAC of .08 or greater. Hall was stopped at 9:10 p.m. Friday at Route 63 and Veterans Memorial Drive by State Police.

Christian J. Finkney, 26, of South Academy Street, Wyoming, is charged with 18 counts of criminal contempt, 2nd, aggravated unlicensed operation and unlicensed operation. Ashly N. Boatwright, 27, of South Academy Street, Wyoming, is charged with 18 counts of facilitating aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd, and one count of circumventing an interlock device. Finkney allegedly drove a vehicle 18 times in Genesee County while his license was revoked for an alcohol-related offense. Darien Town Court reportedly directed Finkney not to drive until his privileges were reinstated by the DMV. Finkney was arraigned in Batavia, Darien, Alexander, Pembroke and Bethany and jailed on $10,000 bail. Boatwright is accused of allowing Finkney to drive a vehicle registered to her on 18 occasions. She is also accused of blowing into an interlock device to circumvent the device.

Nathan Robert Arnold, 22, of Terry Street, Byron, is charged with criminal contempt, 1st. Arnold was allegedly involved in a fight with a person protected from him by court order. He was jailed on $5,000 bail.

Jamie Michelle Lauck, 27, of Spencer Court, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .18 and parking in the highway. The Sheriff's Office received a report at 12:51 a.m. Sunday on Colby Road, Darien. Lauck was allegedly located in a vehicle stopped in the roadway by Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello.

Louis James Stoller Jr., 22, of Erie Street, Le Roy, is charged with burglary, 2nd, and petit larceny. Stoller is accused of entering a residence on South Street Road, Le Roy, with the intent of taking the dog from the residence. He was jailed on $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 bond.

Damian Christopher Woodruff, 32, of Walmore Road, Niagara Falls, is charged with criminal possession of a weapon, 4th. Woodruff was stopped by Deputy Patrick Reeves on federal game lands on Sour Springs Road, Alabama. He was allegedly hunting without a permit. He allegedly was found in possession of a shotgun, in violation of the law barring convicted felons of possessing firearms. 

Nathaniel Michael Dickes, 21, of Broadway Street, Oakfield, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Dickes was allegedly involved in a fight at 9:57 pm., Saturday, at a location on Webber Avenue, Oakfield, in which Dickes allegedly pushed and grabbed another person and threw an object at that person.

Donald Ivan Manes, 58, of Lewiston Road, Basom, is charged with DWI, refusal to take breath test, misuse of dealer plate, speeding (74 in a 55 mph zone) and failure to keep right. Manes was stopped at 2:06 a.m. Sunday on Kelsey Road, Batavia, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Kristen Irene Merriam, 33, of Summit Street, Batavia, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana. Merriam was charged following a traffic stop at 12:30 a.m. Saturday on Clinton Street Road, Stafford, by Deputy Joseph Corona.

Bryan D. Bates, 35, of Mill Street, Batavia, is charged with conspiracy, falsely reporting an incident to law enforcement and offering a false instrument, 1st. Bates allegedly reported an incident that did not occur and providing a false written statement. Bates is being held on a parole violation.

Tyler J. Warfle, 19, of Chapel Street, Elba, is charged with five counts of identify theft, 3rd. Warfle is accused of using the debit card of another person without permission.

Mark T. Zdrojewski, 61, of Meyer Road, Pendleton, is charged with issuing a bad check. Zdrojewski was arrested on a warrant. 

A 17-year-old resident of Liberty Street in Batavia was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear. He was taken into custody during an investigation of an unrelated complaint.

A leaf fire that is moving toward a wooded area is reported at 5482 Jerico Road. Bethany Fire Department is responding. Light smoke is showing in the vicinity.

UPDATE 2:25 p.m.: Fire is under control and firefighters are working to douse hot spots.

UPDATE 3:01 p.m.: Fire is out. Bethany is back in service.

The Farm, the Nashville-based band featuring Krista Marie, from Alexander, released a new single and video today, "Mud." I think we can be pretty sure it wasn't shot in Bethany.

It ain't nothin' but a party, Frank Stanton told the Genesee County Planning Board on Thursday evening in his second attempt to win approval for a special-use permit to host mudding events on his seven-acre property in Bethany.

"This is not a business," Stanton said. "It's a party. It's just a bunch of people getting together and having fun. That's all it is."

Planners recommended disapproval of his permit and didn't offer much encouragement for him to try again.

After a meeting two weeks ago, where planners were much more receptive to his proposal but told Stanton he needed a more formal plan before they could approve it, a pair of nearby Bethany residents wrote the planning board and raised objections to these mudding events.

Robert Reyes and Elaine Shell contend Stanton operates his mudding events as a business.

There's a Facebook page with 700 likes. The events are listed on at least two mudding event Web sites. They suggest it's not just friends showing up to run their trucks in the mud.

"Whether it's a trick of acoustics, with him being in a 'dip', we don't know, but the noise level at and in our home is awful," the couple wrote. "Most of the trucks running are modified with high revving engines, have no mufflers, and are extremely loud."

While Stanton tried to assure planners that there are never more than a couple hundred people at a time on his property at 9832 Bethany Center Road, Reyes and Shell argued that as many as 400 people might be on the property at one time and are concerned that Stanton wants the events to grow even bigger.

Stanton said they can't get any bigger because he'll never be able to buy adjoining property since it's currently owned by a large and successful dairy operation. He said he doesn't make any money off the events. There are no prizes, no awards, nothing that would make these commercial events.

"This will probably fizzle out in five or six years as my kids get bigger and things change," Stanton said.

The vote recommending disapproval was 6-0.

This is what's left of the barn on Transit Road, Bethany, this morning, after yesterday's fire.

Doug Yeomans took these pictures.

As you can see, there's a bit of smoke and licks of flame. I checked with a dispatcher about any reports of a rekindle and was told none have been received. The dispatcher was sending a chief out to the scene to check on the site.

Heading back to Batavia this afternoon, I stopped in at Roanoke Apple Farm, in Bethany, for the first time.

Above, Alex Kiefer, an employee, picks apples.

Scott Darron and his daughter Natalya load up a bushel of apples. Darron said he was planning on making pies.

A barn is reportedly on fire with Flames showing at 13096 Transit Road, Bethany. 

Bethany Fire along with several othe companies. 

UPDATE 3:45:  one of the county's beautiful old barns. Gone. You'll be sad when you see the pictures. 

UPDATE 5:15 p.m. Top photo submtted by Joan Fernays. By the time I got there, the barn was nearly gone and the fire had largely burned itself out. The owner said he was gone for about 15 minutes and when he came back, the fire was already burning. He said the barn hadn't been used for five years because of structural issues.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Below, a picture of the barn I took in May 2013. There's also pictures here and here.  It will be a couple of hours at least before I get my pictures from the fire posted.

UPDATE: Photos and slideshow of today's fire followed by drone-camera photos submitted by a reader.

To purchase prints, click here.

A chimney fire is reported at Baskin Livestock on Creek Road, Bethany.

Bethany fire along with Alexander and Town of Batavia dispatched.

UPDATE 10:56 a.m.: Alexander was going to respond from this fire to an alarm of fire in its own district, but the alarm company confirmed false alarm. Alexander is back in service. Town of Batavia also has an alarm at College Village. Batavia's Ladder 25 is on scene at the chimney fire.

James Timon Saddler III, 33, no permanent address, is charged with criminal impersonation, 2nd, forgery, 2nd, offering false instrument, 1st, aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd, and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Saddler was reportedly stopped at 10:30 p.m. May 31 on Ellicott Street, Batavia, by Officer Jason Ivison. Saddler allegedly provided a name and date of birth other than his own and signed a consent to search form under the false name. Upon further investigation of the stop and a review of camera footage of the stop, Ivison determined that Saddler was the person stopped who allegedly provided a false identity. Saddler is currently an inmate in the Genesee County Jail being held on unrelated charges.

Jerry Tyrone Saddler, 38, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment ,2nd. Saddler is accused of hitting a woman several times during an argument, causing minor injuries.

Samuel Forrest Brown, 26, of River Street, Batavia, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or greater and failure to dim headlamps. Brown was stopped at 11:51 p.m. Friday on Route 5, Stafford, by Deputy Chris Parker.

Douglas Scott Sprague, 47, of Hutchins Place, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt,1st. Sprague was arrested on a warrant for allegedly violating an order of protection on June 2.

Michael Lee Milroy, 48, of McLernon Road, Bethany, is charged with assault, 3rd. Milroy was allegedly the driver of a vehicle at 7:45 p.m. Thursday that drove away from a residence while another person was leaning in the open passenger side door of the vehicle. Milroy is accused of striking that person with the door frame and rear tire, causing an injury to that person.

Joseph Allen Hogan, 46, of Bank Street, Batavia, is charged with four counts of petit larceny and five counts of falsifying business records. Hogan is accused of altering weight slips at Ed Arnold Scrap in order to receive overpayment on scrap. Hogan was jailed without bail.

Christopher M. Colantonio, 35, of South Swan Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny and forgery, 2nd. Colantonio was arrested on a warrant for allegedly stealing checks from a woman he knew, forging them and cashing them at a local bank. Colantonio was jailed on $2,500 bail.

Thomas E. Hensel, 31, of East Main Street, Batavia, is charged with possession of burglar tools. Hensel was allegedly found in possession of a full set of lock picks at a location on Pearl Street at 10:25 p.m. Saturday.

Anya R. Rambuski, 44, of Birchwood Drive, Batavia, is charged with driving while ability impaired. Rambuski was stopped at 11:58 p.m. Saturday on West Main Street, Batavia, by Officer Marc Lawrence.

Linda L. Fagan, 65, of Ross Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Fagan allegedly got rid of several instruments and other property owned by her brother.

Robert J. Propst, 34, of Maple Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and endangering the welfare of a child. Propst was allegedly involved in a domestic incident in which he grabbed the shirt of the victim, threw her phone and was yelling at her in the presence of children. Propst was jailed on $2,000 bail.

A 16-year-old resident of East Avenue, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd, and criminal contempt, 2nd. The youth allegedly threatened another person, violating an order of protection.

Paul M. Gelardo, 29, of Fargo Road, Stafford, is charged with petit larceny. Gelardo allegedly stole a bicycle from T.F. Brown's.

A pair 17-year-olds from Buffalo are charged with petit larceny. The two youths are accused of stealing money from their employer at the time, Darien Lake Theme Park.

Jeffrey John Farrell, 27, of West Avenue, Medina, is charged with petit larceny. Farrell allegedly stole $433.74 in merchandise from Walmart.

Kimberly Ann Pietrzykowski, 26, of Old Telephone Road, Bethany, is charged with petit larceny. Pietrzykowski is accused of stealing $204.90 in groceries from Walmart. The shopping cart of groceries was recovered in the parking lot of Home Depot.

Bradley J. Barnard, 19, of Byron, is charged with petit larceny. Barnard is accused of taking a carbonated beverage and placing it in his backpack while in the cafeteria at GCC. Surveillance video was used to confirm the alleged theft.

Kyle B. Sovocool, 21, of Le Roy, is charged with promoting sexual performance of a child less than 17 years old, possession of sexual performance by a child and criminal possession of a weapon, 4th. Sovocool was arrested as the result of a State Police investigation stemming from a Jan. 22 complaint. Sovocool was jailed on an unspecified bail. No further details released.